NFTY in Israel | Travel Adventures for Teenshttp://nftyisrael.org
Thu, 15 Nov 2018 18:21:34 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.8nftyisraelbloghttps://feedburner.google.comThe Ultimate Throwback Thursday (TBT)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nftyisraelblog/~3/yqKE_UQEeVc/
http://nftyisrael.org/2018/11/15/ultimate-throwback-thursday-tbt/#respondThu, 15 Nov 2018 18:21:34 +0000https://nftyisrael.org/?p=43745By Ilana Schear, Registrar and Communications Coordinator NFTY in Israel has been leading trips to Israel since 1958. With an alumni database of nearly 30,000 teens, we have an extensive collection of photos taken over the last 60 years. For a classic TBT post, here are some favorite photos over the last 10 years. 2008 2009 […]

NFTY in Israel has been leading trips to Israel since 1958. With an alumni database of nearly 30,000 teens, we have an extensive collection of photos taken over the last 60 years. For a classic TBT post, here are some favorite photos over the last 10 years.

2008

Photo submitted by Miriam Ross-Hirsch on Bus 16

2009

Photo submitted by Alex Widom on Bus 5

2010

Photo submitted by Joshua Feinberg on Bus 10

2011

Photo submitted by Linda Nakagawa on Bus 12

2012

Photo from Garin Greene in Israel on Bus 3a

2013

Photo from WBT in Israel on Bus 7

2014

Photo from Coleman in Israel on Bus 1

2015

Photo from Eisner in Israel on Bus 9c

2016

Photo from Mitzvah Corps Israel

2017

Photo from Newman in Israel on Bus 10

2018

]]>http://nftyisrael.org/2018/11/15/ultimate-throwback-thursday-tbt/feed/0http://nftyisrael.org/2018/11/15/ultimate-throwback-thursday-tbt/How to Talk with Teens about Israel: A Framing for Embracing Complexityhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nftyisraelblog/~3/1lNd4mAmuwU/
http://nftyisrael.org/2018/11/01/talk-teens-israel-framing-embracing-complexity/#respondThu, 01 Nov 2018 16:32:35 +0000https://nftyisrael.org/?p=43582By Rabbi Reuven Greenvald, Director of Israel Engagement, URJ Israel engagement for young people, like every aspect of Jewish engagement, requires each new generation to make it their own. Although we sometimes talk about Israel’s complexity as one of the most difficult educational challenges in Jewish education, it really is part of the same package of […]

Israel engagement for young people, like every aspect of Jewish engagement, requires each new generation to make it their own. Although we sometimes talk about Israel’s complexity as one of the most difficult educational challenges in Jewish education, it really is part of the same package of big questions our youth are asking about Judaism’s relevance to living in a diverse, pluralistic, and globalized world. While their questions may challenge us, the act of questioning should be seen as a natural part of their development as well as the Jewish people’s self-renewal.

In his poem, The Jews, Yehuda Amichai shows the potentially disruptive side of renewal.

The Jews are like photographs displayed in a shop window

all of them together in different heights, living and dead,

grooms and brides and bar-mitzvah youth along with babies.

And there are pictures restored from old yellowing photographs.

And sometimes they come and break the window

and burn the pictures. And they begin

to photograph anew and to develop anew

and display them again aching and smiling.

There are constructive ways to negotiate this disruption. When thinking about the serious and essential questions raised by young people about what’s going on in Israel today, we can use conversation and inquiry framings to sustain tough conversations. Framings provide a thread of continuity that can carry across a congregation’s full expression of Israel engagement and that can accompany learners into their own personal inquiries. In short, talking about Israel, especially its complexity, should not be a one-off.

THE STATE OF ISRAEL will be open for Jewish immigration and for the Ingathering of the Exiles; it will foster the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; it will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture; it will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions; and it will be faithful to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.

The big idea presented here is that democratic states lay out just visions to strive for and to be accountable to. This big idea should resonate with our youth because it is likely to resonate with their own worldviews living in the US and Canada. Different topics in Israel today can be structured around these four essential questions:

Where has Israel made progress towards this vision?

What challenges does Israel face in achieving this vision?

What disagreements about the underlying values are forming the debates in Israel today?

How does the work of the Reform Movement in Israel (the IMPJ) relate to this vision?

This framing has the advantage of allowing liberal Jewish educators to reveal their own ongoing commitment to Israel through the core Jewish values that inform their own Judaism. Here, educators can point to Israeli organizations which are making a difference and that they personally partner with and support. For example, if the Religious Action Center (RAC) is known to teens through their social justice programming, they could learn about the IRAC – the Israel Religious Action Center of the Reform Movement – in order to understand why and how progressive Israelis are invested in Israel. Seeing Israel through the lens of Israeli Reform Jews is not something that they get through the media, and it may help teens identify more with the project we call the State of Israel.

When approaching Israel education, our opportunity is to help our youth and teens make it their own. Using a framing will help structure and contain the conversation, allowing them to probe Israel’s complexities in a constructive and meaningful way. What are other framings you’re using to support your teens in engaging with Israel?

]]>http://nftyisrael.org/2018/11/01/talk-teens-israel-framing-embracing-complexity/feed/0http://nftyisrael.org/2018/11/01/talk-teens-israel-framing-embracing-complexity/Teaching NFTY in Israel Teens about the real Israelhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nftyisraelblog/~3/akRNbS15bXk/
http://nftyisrael.org/2018/10/25/teaching-nfty-israel-teens-real-israel/#respondThu, 25 Oct 2018 16:19:21 +0000https://nftyisrael.org/?p=43543It is October in Jerusalem, the weather is beautiful, and we are now completing the itineraries for our fun packed and educationally enriching Israel adventures for NFTY in Israel Summer 2019. The educational aspect of the program is intentionally constructed to reflect the best progressive Jewish values of the Union for Reform Judaism. One of the most significant upgrades is that we are presenting a more nuanced and sophisticated encounter with the complexities and conflicts in Israeli society today.

It is October in Jerusalem, the weather is beautiful, and we are now completing the itineraries for our fun packed and educationally enriching Israel adventures for NFTY in Israel Summer 2019. The educational aspect of the program is intentionally constructed to reflect the best progressive Jewish values of the Union for Reform Judaism. One of the most significant upgrades is that we are presenting a more nuanced and sophisticated encounter with the complexities and conflicts in Israeli society today.

It is planned that all NFTY in Israel buses this summer will meet with Palestinian Peace Activist, Nur Awad, to learn about the realities of life for Palestinians in the West Bank Territories. The teens will also visit the home of an Arab Muslim family in the Arab Village of Ein Rafah near Jerusalem to learn about the experience of living as a member of the Arab Muslim minority in Israeli society.

In past years, we largely ignored the place of Ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israeli life. Today, this minority is the fastest growing community in Israel and presents many challenges to Secular and Reform life. Last year many of our teens visited the Belz Hasidic community. In feedback from the teens this experience was described as one of the most interesting and challenging days of the summer. One of the takeaways was the idea that when we talk about the Jewish Community it also includes Jews who think and live differently than we do. Also, we can no longer talk about the future of the Jewish Community without including an awareness of the growing Ultra-Orthodox community.

An educational highlight of the program continues to be the interaction week with Israeli Youth. The best way to learn about modern Israel is with Israeli teen peers. We have empowered the Israeli teens to share their personal stories and lives with the Americans in a more intentional way. The Israeli teens now have a formal time in the itinerary when they can share either their family’s Aliyah story (immigration story to Israel), story about Army Service (if relevant), a story about their life near the border, or a chance to teach the American Teens their favorite Israeli pop songs. In the spirit of enhancing our teen’s connections to the inspiring story of the growth of Reform Judaism in Israel, the buses meet with an Israeli Reform teen who shares her life in “My Israeli Reform Jewish Story.” The last Friday night Kabbalat Shabbat service in Israel is celebrated in the Old City of Jerusalem at the Reform Egalitarian Section of the Western Wall (Kotel). This location is also a place of prayer and celebration for the Women of the Wall.

Today’s teens are sophisticated, media savvy and just plain smart. They are not satisfied with educational programs that smack of propaganda or a 2-dimenssional picture perfect postcard of Israel in black and white. They want to learn about the real Israel, her achievements and challenges (warts and all). We strive to give our teens real knowledge and real tools to be able to take part in the bigger conversation about the future of the Jewish People, both in Israel and North America. We want to empower our teens to take leadership roles in shaping the conversation between North American Jews and Israeli Jews about what kind of a Jewish People we want to be in the future. NFTY in Israel provides a safe, honest, and nurturing environment to grow as a young Reform Jewish teen.

]]>http://nftyisrael.org/2018/10/25/teaching-nfty-israel-teens-real-israel/feed/0http://nftyisrael.org/2018/10/25/teaching-nfty-israel-teens-real-israel/The Five Ws of Mitzvah Corps Israelhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nftyisraelblog/~3/RiDxIt9b1kY/
http://nftyisrael.org/2018/10/16/five-ws-mitzvah-corps-israel/#respondTue, 16 Oct 2018 18:45:06 +0000https://nftyisrael.org/?p=43334You! And other cool people! You’ll be traveling with peers from around the country who are as passionate about making a positive change in the world as you are. And to make it even better, at every stop along the way, you’ll meet incredible locals from different cultures, religions, ethnicities, and perspectives, all of whom are creating innovative solutions to challenges in their communities.

Who

You! And other cool people! You’ll be traveling with peers from around the country who are as passionate about making a positive change in the world as you are. And to make it even better, at every stop along the way, you’ll meet incredible locals from different cultures, religions, ethnicities, and perspectives, all of whom are creating innovative solutions to challenges in their communities.

What

Volunteering. Traveling. Snorkeling. Learning. Hiking. The list goes on and on. But what makes this program unique is that there is a social justice focus, purpose, and intention behind every single activity. When you’re working on a farm in the desert, teaching English to refugee children, or weaving in a Bedouin women’s empowerment center, it’s obvious that you’re making a change. On this trip, though, even the decisions we make about where to eat, hike, snorkel, and sleep have a social justice lens.

When

It’s all happening this summer, from June 26 – July 17, 2019. Registration is already open, so sign up by January 3, 2019 to take advantage of the early bird deadline (which saves you $400!).

Where

You’ll meet up with the group in the United States, and then fly together to Tel Aviv. From there, you’ll spend the next three weeks traveling all over the country! The north (Haifa, Akko, Sea of Galilee, Golan Heights), the center (Tel Aviv and Jerusalem), the desert (Negev), and the south (Eilat). If you can dream it, you can visit it.

Why

Israel is a complicated place, and as American Jews who are living in the diaspora (outside of Israel), and who believe strongly in social justice, it adds even more confusion. This trip is geared toward peeling back those layers, to hear as many different perspectives, to see for yourself the way that different cultures exist, to speak to people who represent many different views on the complex issues taking place there. When you get home, we hope that you’ll be able to engage in hard conversations about Israel and Palestine with thoughtful personal experience, and have built a toolkit of resources to go back to as you continue to evolve your own beliefs and thoughts.

]]>http://nftyisrael.org/2018/10/16/five-ws-mitzvah-corps-israel/feed/0http://nftyisrael.org/2018/10/16/five-ws-mitzvah-corps-israel/The Power of the Sukkahhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nftyisraelblog/~3/nhWMEu_Bm1M/
http://nftyisrael.org/2018/10/02/the-power-of-the-sukkah/#respondTue, 02 Oct 2018 19:58:38 +0000https://nftyisrael.org/?p=43065This past Sunday marked the last day of Sukkot. There are few holidays in Israel that are as powerful as Sukkot, a holiday that makes you feel as though you are living in the Torah. In Israel, Sukkot is not just a two day festival, but it is a seven day holiday known as “Z’man Simchatenu/A Time of Our Happiness”, a festival where businesses shut down and everyone in the country takes vacation. You see sukkahs (booths) suddenly appearing all over the country, and not only in people’s homes, but in falafel shops and schwarma stands, too.

This past Sunday marked the last day of Sukkot. There are few holidays in Israel that are as powerful as Sukkot, a holiday that makes you feel as though you are living in the Torah. In Israel, Sukkot is not just a two day festival, but it is a seven day holiday known as “Z’man Simchatenu/A Time of Our Happiness”, a festival where businesses shut down and everyone in the country takes vacation. You see sukkahs (booths) suddenly appearing all over the country, and not only in people’s homes, but in falafel shops and schwarma stands, too. Basically, wherever Israelis can carry out the mitzvah of building a sukkah, they will try to do so. In Jerusalem, the government has trucks that drop off giant piles of palm branches (for free) around the city in order to help people build their sukkahs. The supermarkets are filled with dates, figs and the seven different types of species (crops) that we are supposed to use on Sukkot. Right before the holiday begins, the streets are filled with little stands selling lulovs and etrogs. In Israel, Sukkot is not just in synagogues and private homes, but it is also in public schools, supermarkets, shopping malls, national parks. It is talked about on the radio and it is even on TV. Sukkot is a perfect example of why having a Jewish state isn’t only about Jewish physical survival, but rather illustrates the power of living in a place where the dominant culture is Jewish, and where a holiday like Sukkot is simply a natural part of our rhythm of life here. There isn’t one child in Israel who doesn’t know about Sukkot, because they have been learning about it since kindergarten, making decorations for the Sukkah and getting ready for a week of vacation from school.

For adults living in Israel, the metaphorical power of the sukkah is definitely not lost. Although this is a holiday of “our rejoicing”, the story of Sukkot also has another more unsettling message. In addition to being commanded to be happy, we are also commanded to live in these sukkahs for seven days, while taking out our finest china, our nicest cutlery and our most precious linens. The message built into this holiday is clear, that in spite of the sukkah’s lack of sturdiness (read uncertainty) our sukkah will somehow hold up. In many ways Sukkot is a holiday that reflects the reality of Israel and Israelis each and every day. For it is a holiday that juxtaposes the commandment to be happy along with the acknowledgment of our precarious reality and existential angst. Can you get more Jewish than that? And on that note – Chag Sameach!

]]>http://nftyisrael.org/2018/10/02/the-power-of-the-sukkah/feed/0http://nftyisrael.org/2018/10/02/the-power-of-the-sukkah/Summer 2019 is on the horizonhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nftyisraelblog/~3/prst_AO72EE/
http://nftyisrael.org/2018/09/25/summer-2019-horizon/#respondTue, 25 Sep 2018 19:14:22 +0000https://nftyisrael.org/?p=42936With summer officially over as of this past Saturday, we are already thinking about Summer 2019! In just nine short months, our first groups will be departing on flights across the Atlantic to begin their epic journeys into the story of our people. They’ll explore, hike, eat delicious food, meet amazing people, conquer challenges, and much more on their 3, 4 or 5-week adventures through Israel.

With summer officially over as of this past Saturday, we are already thinking about Summer 2019! In just nine short months, our first groups will be departing on flights across the Atlantic to begin their epic journeys into the story of our people. They’ll explore, hike, eat delicious food, meet amazing people, conquer challenges, and much more on their 3, 4 or 5-week adventures through Israel.

Sports Israel – combining a passion for sport, travel and Judaism

Imagine seeing Israel as an athlete, with sports as your backdrop. Imagine a group of teens challenged with the task of teaching young Israeli children how to cradle a lacrosse ball, or on mixed teams with their Israeli peers for a game of baseball, sharing in each other’s culture and learning from their experiences together. Imagine those same teens meeting with influential Israeli athletes, learning from and being inspired by them as mentors in the field. Sports Israel, our innovative new program in partnership with URJ 6 Points Sports Academies in North Carolina and California, will bring like-minded athletes together to explore, play, teach and learn Israel – all through the lens of sports.

Chalutzim B’aretz – offering an immersive Hebrew-focused trip through the only country where Hebrew is the national language

Become part of an immersive Hebrew-speaking community as you spend four weeks exploring ישראל/Yisrael/Israel and deepening your Hebrew knowledge. Chalutzim B’aretz, our dynamic new program in partnership with Olin-Sang-Ruby-Union Institute (OSRUI) will provide participants the opportunity to further develop modern Hebrew language skills and put those skills to use in Israel – order falafel, ask for directions, and experience life in Hebrew as you explore our ancient homeland with new and old friends. Participant in an intensive experience learning, exploring, and meeting Israeli peers. Discover yourself while speaking the language of your ancestors. This unique and challenging program is for teens with a baseline level of Hebrew knowledge, who seek a meaningful and exciting journey to ישראל/Yisrael/Israel filled with amazing memories and friendships that will last a lifetime.

]]>http://nftyisrael.org/2018/09/25/summer-2019-horizon/feed/0http://nftyisrael.org/2018/09/25/summer-2019-horizon/5 Ways to Break Your Fast Israeli-Stylehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nftyisraelblog/~3/cV4VP_6Ywpc/
http://nftyisrael.org/2018/09/18/5-ways-break-fast-israeli-style/#respondTue, 18 Sep 2018 17:38:50 +0000https://nftyisrael.org/?p=42910Fresh, unripened cheeses are a staple of Israeli diets, so it’s no wonder they make it into an Israeli break fast! Plus it’s light, tasty, and makes a great alternative to cream cheese on that American break fast staple, the bagel. This recipe takes just a few minutes of cooking time followed by an hour-and-a-half of waiting for the liquid to drain. It keeps well in the fridge, if you want to make it ahead.

Make your own cheese

Fresh, unripened cheeses are a staple of Israeli diets, so it’s no wonder they make it into an Israeli break fast! Plus it’s light, tasty, and makes a great alternative to cream cheese on that American break fast staple, the bagel. This recipe takes just a few minutes of cooking time followed by an hour-and-a-half of waiting for the liquid to drain. It keeps well in the fridge, if you want to make it ahead.

But Israeli salad is still awesome

Upgrade your babka with delicious almond cream

Is babka the greatest Jewish baked good in the world? Yes. Yes it is. This recipe fuses Eastern European babka with almonds, a Middle Eastern staple. As a bonus, the recipe also includes an Iraqi Jewish recipe for sweetened almond milk to go with it.

]]>http://nftyisrael.org/2018/09/18/5-ways-break-fast-israeli-style/feed/0http://nftyisrael.org/2018/09/18/5-ways-break-fast-israeli-style/On Yom Kippur, Hearing Isaiah’s Prophetic Voice at the Kotelhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nftyisraelblog/~3/l7qsnEqhJcA/
http://nftyisrael.org/2018/09/14/yom-kippur-hearing-isaiahs-prophetic-voice-kotel/#respondFri, 14 Sep 2018 18:09:24 +0000https://nftyisrael.org/?p=42867On Yom Kippur, when haftarah readers all over the world will raise their voices in chant – so-lu so-lu… build up build up a highway – the symbolic image of Isaiah’s highway translates in my mind to the major roadways crisscrossing Israel today. Road-building and highway expansions in Israel are a good sign for the country’s overall economic health.

Build up, build up a highway! Clear a road! Remove all obstacles from the road of My people!
(Isaiah 57:14)

On Yom Kippur, when haftarah readers all over the world will raise their voices in chant – so-lu so-lu… build up build up a highway – the symbolic image of Isaiah’s highway translates in my mind to the major roadways crisscrossing Israel today. Road-building and highway expansions in Israel are a good sign for the country’s overall economic health. I’m especially excited about the new high-speed rail between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. This concretization of symbol doesn’t solely stem from my imagination – the revitalization of Hebrew in the early 20th century as a modern functional language is filled with examples of biblical poetic symbols literally hitting the pavement. By the way, mesilah – a train track – is another modern Hebrew word taken from Isaiah (see Isaiah 62:10).

But momentary flashes of real Israeli highways slip away as the power of Isaiah’s prophetic metaphors call us to reflect upon the moral and spiritual shortcomings, the obstacles standing in the way of the Jewish people’s progress. As the haftarah for Yom Kippur, this message is intensified by the prophet’s words later in this section:

Is this the fast I desire? A day for people to starve their bodies? … No, this is the fast I desire: To unlock the fetters of wickedness…to let the oppressed go free…to share the bread with the hungry.… (Isaiah 58:5-7)

So, when I imagine myself sitting in synagogue this Yom Kippur and listening to Isaiah rail against the religious hypocrisy of not turning the experience of fasting into acts of justice, of helping the oppressed, my head again fills with current images of metaphoric and real construction both demonstrating obstacles to realizing Isaiah’s call to justice. One example in Israel is particularly striking to me.

During the early summer uproar over the pluralistic prayer space at the Kotel (Western Wall), when liberal Jewish activists criticized the leaders of major Jewish organizations about why they were uniting vociferously only about the injustice of not having an egalitarian prayer space, which they see as a personal freedom issue, and not over major injustices that place hardships on oppressed and impoverished populations daily, I thought ahead to this passage from Isaiah and to a similar idea in the prophet Micah. Many of these young activists, alumni of our best Jewish educational experiences, felt justified in reminding Jewish leaders of what we taught them about the prophets:

With what shall I approach the Lord…shall I approach him with burnt offerings…? He has told you, O human, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: Only to do justice, and to love goodness, and to walk modestly with your God. (Micah 6:6,8)

Personally, I see the opening of such honest conversation as constructive. American and Israeli Reform leaders responded to the critical questions raised about the energy being poured into the Kotel controversy by expressing the Movement’s longstanding social justice commitments more clearly and loudly. For the leaders of liberal Jewish movements, this pluralistic prayer area represents a space for religiously liberal Jews to bring the fullness of their progressive commitments to democracy and human rights. And, I think it is clear that this is part of what scares the haredi opposition.

Toward the end of the Yom Kippur haftarah, Isaiah says:

“People from your midst shall rebuild the ancient ruins, You shall restore foundations laid long ago, and you shall be called ‘Repairer of fallen walls, restorer of lanes for in-dwelling” (Isaiah 58:12).

I see these words describing the day when liberal Jews will enter the Kotel plaza, congregating in prayer with all their values. I know the progressive siddurim (prayer books) they will daven (pray) from will give voice to social justice ideals that Isaiah and Micah teach us. Inclusion and egalitarianism will be celebrated as minyanim (prayer groups of at least 10 people) are formed. I hope, too, that the symbols and architecture of the space will give expression to the values encompassed by peace and a respect for all humanity.

Sadly, we don’t know how close we are to realizing even the preliminary vision of this section of the Kotel. Beyond its potential to give voice to liberal Jewish prayer, I’d like to see it go beyond what Isaiah envisioned as repairing walls and restoring lanes for in-dwelling. Is it not too daring to think that this new area in Jerusalem’s Old City might also become a connector to Muslim and Christians praying nearby in the spirit of co-existence?

]]>http://nftyisrael.org/2018/09/14/yom-kippur-hearing-isaiahs-prophetic-voice-kotel/feed/0http://nftyisrael.org/2018/09/14/yom-kippur-hearing-isaiahs-prophetic-voice-kotel/How I Went from Participant to Professionalhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nftyisraelblog/~3/pVszAMdbcrw/
http://nftyisrael.org/2018/09/07/went-participant-professional/#respondFri, 07 Sep 2018 16:51:26 +0000https://nftyisrael.org/?p=42710Another successful NFTY in Israel summer has come to an end. With Facebook memories and Timehop, I can’t help but to reflect on my own NFTY in Israel experience eight years ago in the summer of 2010. While I always had a passion for non-profit work and a deep connection to Judaism and Israel, never did I think I would be sitting here working for NFTY in Israel, years later, helping families send their teens on this journey.

Another successful NFTY in Israel summer has come to an end. With Facebook memories and Timehop, I can’t help but to reflect on my own NFTY in Israel experience eight years ago in the summer of 2010. While I always had a passion for non-profit work and a deep connection to Judaism and Israel, never did I think I would be sitting here working for NFTY in Israel, years later, helping families send their teens on this journey.

Eight years ago, my mom took me to Newark Liberty International Airport to travel with 36 other teens whom I had never met. I heard about this program at my Bat Mitzvah, when I received my $250 NFTY in Israel gift certificate from my synagogue. Now, at the age of 17, I sat in the airport with my suitcase, bigger than me, ready to embark on this five-week journey. I sat in the airport surrounded by about 300 strangers. We listened to Paul Reichenbach tell us we were about to have the best summer of our life (if we followed the Brit Kehillah – Code of Conduct). At the end of the five weeks, I knew I was leaving with vastly more knowledge than when I arrived, and with memories I still think about today: riding a camel in the Negev, going banana boating on the Mediterranean Sea, snorkeling in Eilat, sleeping in a Bedouin tent, praying at the Kotel, having lunch in a Druze village, walking the cobblestone alleyways of Tzfat, hiking Mount Shlomo, and the list can go on and on.

I now use my personal experience to speak with families about the power of NFTY in Israel. I can confidently speak to a family about why they should send their teen(s) on our program because I am grateful every day my mom sent me. I know the impact this trip has. I know the opportunities it can lead to. This trip sparked my love of travel. Before this trip, I had been out of the country twice: once to Canada and once on a family trip to Israel. Since I traveled with NFTY in Israel, I have been to Israel five times, traveled to Central America, South America, all around Europe, and studied abroad for six months during my Junior year of college. So, when one year after graduating from college I heard about my current position posting, I knew there was nothing else I was meant to be doing.

I decided to dig into the data and here is what I found about the impact of NFTY in Israel this past summer. We sent almost 500 teens to Israel (250 of whom spent an additional week in Europe). These teens came from all around North American with 34 states represented, in addition to D.C. and Ontario, Canada. Teens represented 193 Reform Congregations and 13 URJ camps. 350 teens identified themselves as first-time travelers to Israel.

To see the teens arriving at the airport, checking them in, giving instructions on how to print their boarding passes, answering their questions about what the next 24 hours would be like, reading their blogs posts, seeing their pictures, and watching their videos throughout the summer, gives me such happiness (and a little bit of jealousy wishing I could still be 17 years old going on this trip again). There is no greater gift than being able to travel to Israel. To travel with NFTY in Israel, in my obviously unbiased opinion, is the greatest gift a teen can have.

]]>http://nftyisrael.org/2018/09/07/went-participant-professional/feed/0http://nftyisrael.org/2018/09/07/went-participant-professional/Yad Vashem Reflectionhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nftyisraelblog/~3/6tESbxP3Hxw/
http://nftyisrael.org/2018/08/10/yad-vashem-reflection/#respondFri, 10 Aug 2018 14:17:36 +0000https://nftyisrael.org/?p=42077As we walked through the great stone doors of Yad Vashem a great sense of familiarity swept over us. It has been 4 weeks since we journeyed through the horrors of the holocaust in Europe yet the wounds of our ancestors of which we learned still seemed fresh. Each document of deportation, each death certificate; every bit of evidence of the atrocities creates another void of anguish within us.

As we walked through the great stone doors of Yad Vashem a great sense of familiarity swept over us. It has been 4 weeks since we journeyed through the horrors of the holocaust in Europe yet the wounds of our ancestors of which we learned still seemed fresh. Each document of deportation, each death certificate; every bit of evidence of the atrocities creates another void of anguish within us. We first traveled to the hall of names, where we were met with the documents containing the testimonies and names of thousands of victims of the Shoah. However, the exhibit in the center of the room is what stuck with us the most. There there was a deep pit carved into the ground with a small reflection pool at the bottom. While we gazed down at the pool we could see the names and testimonies of the people in the reflection. Yet, the reflection was obscured and dark. Later our guide informed us that the exhibit symbolizes how history can obscure great tragedy through the passing of time. While the old saying is “time heals all wounds” this is one wound that we need time to never heal. From this exhibit we made our way to the children’s memorial, which serves as remembrance to the lives of the one and a half million children murdered in the Holocaust. This memorial was rather unique as it had no written names or pictures apart of it. Rather, it was a dark room with just 5 candles but dozens of mirrors which reflected the candles lights all over the room. While we passed through we could hear the voice of a monotoned man read out the names of different children who were victims of the Shoah. All of these aspects of the memorial created a very somber yet enlightening experience that we soon will not forget. While we both have been to Yad Vashem before the experience felt a lot more meaningful due to our experience in Aushwitz-Birkenau, which helped further our understanding and visualization of the Holocaust.